Southeastern women’s basketball (22-3, 16-0 SLC) continued its winning ways on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 15) at the University Center on Senior Day, defeating Nicholls 63-50. 

The Colonels (16-9, 9-7 SLC) jumped out to a 31-29 halftime lead, similar to their first matchup with the Lady Lions to open conference play on Dec. 18, 2024. 

Nicholls led in that game 27-23 at the half before SLU battled back for a 58-54 triumph in Thibodaux. The four-point margin of victory remains SLU’s closest in conference action. 

The Lady Lions roared back yet again with a third-quarter explosion in which they outscored the hapless Colonels 19-4 during the period. 

“We really ramped up our defense in the third quarter; not allowing one field goal was a huge spark to the game. We used our defense and created offense from it,” said SLU Head Coach Ayla Guzzardo.  

The Green and Gold went from trailing by two to being up 13 in just 10 minutes of game time, leading 48-35 heading into the fourth. 

The two rivals scored 15 points apiece in the final period, and Southeastern came away with its fourth straight double-digit win. 

In fact, during this dominant 16-game winning streak versus SLC competition, SLU has won 12 of those contests by 10+ points. 

Against the Colonels on Saturday proved to be no different. Despite facing a rare halftime deficit, SLU ultimately won comfortably. 

Junior point guard Jalencia Pierre and senior guard Kaili Chamberlain paced the Lady Lions with 10 points apiece.

Former Colonel turned Lady Lion junior forward Lexi Alexander led SLU in rebounds (9) and assists (3) while totaling six points. 

Southeastern scored 34 points in the paint to 22 for Nicholls, proving to be a key deciding factor in the Southland leaders’ 13-point victory. 

Before the game, five seniors were honored on Senior Day, including Taylor Bell, Terri Crawford, Cheyenne Daniels, Alexius Horne and Mackenzie Thomas. 

Guzzardo commended the Lady Lion quintet for helping to “change the culture” within the program. 

Next up for SLU is a home showdown with Northwestern State (12-12, 9-6 SLC). 

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. tonight at the UC. 

The game will be live streamed on ESPN+ and radio listeners can tune in to 90.9 The Lion. 

The Lady Lions and Demons first met in Natchitoches on Jan. 18, ending in a 66-57 Green and Gold victory. 

It is worth noting this was one of only four instances during SLU’s win streak in which they failed to win by double digits. 

While SLU has been nothing short of excellent this season, Guzzardo says she has yet to see “consistency in each quarter” from her side. 

She said, “We are looking to put a whole game together. We have yet to do that even throughout all these wins, so I would love to see us being able to play four complete quarters before the conference tournament.”

For all things SLU women’s basketball, stay posted to The Lion’s Roar.